Healthy Eating
Balance of good health
All foods can be part of a healthy diet – it’s important for
health to achieve the right balance and include a variety of foods.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and staying active are two of the
most important factors to help live a long and healthy life.
What is a healthy balanced diet?
When it comes to healthy eating the most important thing to
remember is that there are no such things as ‘good’ and ‘bad’
foods. The occasional biscuit or packet of crisps isn’t going to do
any harm as long as the rest of your diet is a healthy balance. The
secret to a healthy diet is balance. To help you get it
right, nutritionists have divided foods into five groups shown
below in the Balance of Good Health. You need to eat some food from
each of the food groups each day to ensure you get all the
nutrients your body needs. Foods from the fruit and vegetables
group and bread, other cereals and potatoes group should be eaten
most often.
(The Balance of Good Health is suitable for all adults and
children over the age of 5. This information is a guide only and
should not replace advice given from your healthcare
professional.)
Healthy eating tips for a balanced diet
Eating breakfast is very important, as is eating regularly.
- Aim to eat 5 or more servings per day of fruit and
vegetables.
- Bread, other cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes should make up
about a third of your food intake.
- Choose lower fat options and smaller amounts when eating meat,
fish and vegetarian alternatives.
- Swap high fat dairy foods such as milk and cheese, for lower
fat versions.
- Limit the amount of fatty and sugary foods!
Children’s and young people’s health
Dietary requirements change for each stage of your life. Babies
and toddlers need specific diets to help grow and develop
correctly; young children and teenagers also need specific diets as
their energy and nutrient levels are higher. For practical advice
about healthy eating for children, from toddler through to teenage
years visit the Eat well
website (opens new window). Advice about healthy
eating for men, women and the elderly can also be found on this
site.
Note: The following links are to external
websites, and will open in new windows.
External Link:
Healthy eating - general information
External Link: Healthy
eating for teens
External Link: Weight wise - calculate your
ideal weight / BMI
External Link: Nutritionist
Resource
Food and diabetes
When you are diagnosed with diabetes it can be challenging to
balance your diet. Understanding your medication and how your diet
is affected can be confusing. You should be able to still enjoy a
variety of foods and eat healthily (opens new window).
Salt
Salt is essential for your health. It helps maintain the fluid
in blood cells and transmit electrical impulses between your brain,
nerves and muscles but too much salt can significantly increase the
risk of health problems.
Food labels
Food labels can be very confusing with all their different terms
and symbols. To be able to understand labels and make informed
choices about the food you buy, visit the Eat well
website (opens new window).
Vitamins and minerals
These are essential for our body to maintain a healthy immune
system, support normal growth and development, and to help organs
and cells in the body work efficiently. The following list is an
example of only a few vitamins and minerals we need in our
diet:
- Iron
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin A
- Zinc
- Magnesium.
More information about the role of
vitamins and minerals in your diet (opens new window).
Contact
Health and Wellbeing Team
Policy and Partnerships
Telephone: (01902) 696683
Fax: (01902) 696309
Email: localities@sstaffs.gov.uk